Monday 19th November - Koh Phi Phi - Bangkok
We chose the perfect day to leave Koh Phi Phi. The weather was cloudy with showers, and hellishly humid. Much like when we arrived, but the seven days inbetween have been glorious. It usually rains during the night while we lie in bed, and it's quite nice listening to our bungalow get battered - until we find a few leaks in the morning!
Saying bye to Phi Phi was hard, we'd become so attached to it! It's the longest we've stayed anywhere for nearly a month. It really was the purest form of paradise I've ever seen, which can be said for most of the Thai islands. Their beaches are plentiful and unspoilt, no teenagers whizzing round on jet skis and banana boats. And the lush landscapes inbetween the beaches are just as pretty.
Bet HERE is definitely not.
Here we are again, on one of our ridiculous night journeys. We decided to get the train, you get a sleeper bed to yourself and presumably it's the fastest form of transport. Boat and bus to Suratthani train station all ran smoothly. Then on arrival, we get told our train is 2 hours delayed, and we already had an hour wait. Now this train station is not somewhere you want to be, for 2-3 hours, at nightfall. It' laughable they can call it a major train station. The arrivals and departures are written on a whiteboard. There is one tiny shop. Squat toilets, again. And did I mention the RATS? What makes this journey particularly worse is that it isn't worth all this. We're heading back to Bangkok, where we really don't want to be! Then we have a 9 hour flight to look forward to. (With Emirates at least, so we'll have a pleasant journey for that haha).
However much I'll miss Thailand's beauty, I am ready for a change of scenery. On our last night in Phi Phi we agreed we was going to eat some Thai food, until we saw a Grill Joint....all you can eat BBQ?! How could we resist. So we ate there and said it was to prepare our bodies for Aus, where they eat a lot of meat and bqqs all the time. Yay! But I'll miss all the little things...taking off your flip flops every time you walk into a shop or restaurant, saying 'Sawadee Kaaaaa,' getting massages whenever I feel like it, hearing Gangnam Style every day. However there's not much to miss of Khoa San Road or Bangkok, as there's only so many times you can politely say "No I don't want to buy a suit/lighter/wooden frog/spinny light thing," "No I don't want a tuk tuk" and "No I do not want to see a ping pong sex show!!"
I'm really excited to see Sydney now, and we have booked our Sydney Harbour bridge climb, so we will see it from the best possible view!
But for now, there's only one thing left to do....say Farewell to Thailand! I was going to do this by eating a cricket, and posting the proof here, but once again we couldn't find the stand last night!! :( I'm half happy half relieved about this.
Goodbye Bangkok, G'day Sydney! x
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Travel Blog: Thailand
16th November - Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Ley
So today I jumped off a cliff.
Yes, it was the most adventurous thing I've ever done! And I wasn't even scared until we turned up at the tour centre, and was handed a waiver to sign just in case we get injured or died. Oh right!! I didn't realise it was that dangerous....
It was all part of a boat trip around Phi Phi Ley, a tiny island so close to Phi Phi that it is almost connected. It was the best 500 baht/tenner I ever spent.
First we stopped at some cliffs to do the jump. We had to put special shoes on and literally rock climb, through jagged and slippy rocks, to the top of this cliff. Unaided I may add! I was expecting some stairs, then a run and jump?! No chance. These were real cliffs, with a jagged edge to leap off if you dared. So what was it like? For me, quite unpleasant! The first cliff was only 8m apparently - but it still took me a good 3 seconds to hit the water. And that's what it felt like, a massive slap. For some reason my bum felt it the most, even though I did what the guide said and jumped in like a pencil. Then as I plunged deep underwater, my head felt like it was going to explode. I thought I was never going to make it back up to the surface, then when I finally did, the waves were so choppy that I kept gulping water and found it hard to swim back to the boat with my backside still stinging!
Most people went back for more, to try the higher jumps, but one was definitely enough for me. At least I can say I did it! Only one person on the whole boat had the guts to do the big 18m jump. Rik went back to try the second highest, about 12m, but soon changed his mind and clambered back to the lowest one. It is soooo much higher and scarier when you're up there than when you're watching from below. But I'm really glad I did it.
From there we went round the corner to monkey beach, where you guessed it, monkeys live. But they were wild and fierce, not small, cute or cheeky like I'd imagined! When we'd had enough monkeying around, our tiny longtail boat zoomed off into the sea to take us to a beautiful lagoon. Surrounded by giant cliff faces, it was so peaceful and the water was amazing, so we all jumped in for a swim.
After a bit of snorkelling by a rocky wall (which me and Rik epically failed at) our guides then took us to Maya Bay - the actual beach where 'The Beach' was filmed. But our boat didn't pull up on that beach, oh no - we had to go on a little adventure. Just like in the film, it is actually a national park and we had to pay a national park entry fee. Once that had been collected, we were led to a cave where once again, we tried our hand at a bit of rock climbing. It was like a passageway under a cliff, but still in the sea with some very tight squeezes! But it was all part of the fun, and as we ascended into the light again, we came to the steepest staircase known to man. Another 10 minute walk and there it was upon us: that exact, breathtaking view from the film....ruined by a few boats and 50+ tourists. But still, it really is the most amazing beach, it's no wonder the director chose this location. It almost makes it a fact that Maya Bay is the most beautiful beach in the whole of Thailand. We spent about an hour there, and was nowhere close to getting bored. I just couldn't stop taking photographs, I wanted to remember this view forever.
But the trip was not over yet. As the sun set on the horizon, we were whisked away to our very own private beach fro a bbq and a party. It would be hard to beat Maya Bay, but as the boat pulled in to our location I knew it wouldn't disappoint. A small beach lit by flames, that led into a beach cavern, where fires and a little mini bar were set up and the music was pumping. There were only around 30 of us on this beach, so more of a friendly, cosy mini-party which was a perfect way to end the day. We ate, drank and chatted to a few people. Then one of our guides brings out a gutiar, and asks if anyone wants to play...next thing we're all singing Oasis round the campfire. There's no word to describe this apart from surreal. Do you ever get that moment where you think "This isn't real, I'm in a movie right now." Well this was definitely one of them. Following our sing-song the Thais got up and showed off their fire twirling skills - which everyone does here by the way, I think Thais come out of the womb twirling a firestick and throwing it to the next newborn across the room. It is entertaining though! Then they led us into the sea to show us the glowing plankton, as it was pitch black by now. They were wicked! If you stayed still, theres nothing but black all around and in the sea, but if you move or splash in the water, lots of tiny light dots appear, just for a few seconds, then disappear again. Fascinating sight to end the day with.
To conclude our night, we headed back to the village for a few drinks. It was just the best day ever. But now tomorrow is our last day, and I really really DON'T want to leave!!!
Rik on his 2nd jump:
So today I jumped off a cliff.
Yes, it was the most adventurous thing I've ever done! And I wasn't even scared until we turned up at the tour centre, and was handed a waiver to sign just in case we get injured or died. Oh right!! I didn't realise it was that dangerous....
It was all part of a boat trip around Phi Phi Ley, a tiny island so close to Phi Phi that it is almost connected. It was the best 500 baht/tenner I ever spent.
First we stopped at some cliffs to do the jump. We had to put special shoes on and literally rock climb, through jagged and slippy rocks, to the top of this cliff. Unaided I may add! I was expecting some stairs, then a run and jump?! No chance. These were real cliffs, with a jagged edge to leap off if you dared. So what was it like? For me, quite unpleasant! The first cliff was only 8m apparently - but it still took me a good 3 seconds to hit the water. And that's what it felt like, a massive slap. For some reason my bum felt it the most, even though I did what the guide said and jumped in like a pencil. Then as I plunged deep underwater, my head felt like it was going to explode. I thought I was never going to make it back up to the surface, then when I finally did, the waves were so choppy that I kept gulping water and found it hard to swim back to the boat with my backside still stinging!
Most people went back for more, to try the higher jumps, but one was definitely enough for me. At least I can say I did it! Only one person on the whole boat had the guts to do the big 18m jump. Rik went back to try the second highest, about 12m, but soon changed his mind and clambered back to the lowest one. It is soooo much higher and scarier when you're up there than when you're watching from below. But I'm really glad I did it.
From there we went round the corner to monkey beach, where you guessed it, monkeys live. But they were wild and fierce, not small, cute or cheeky like I'd imagined! When we'd had enough monkeying around, our tiny longtail boat zoomed off into the sea to take us to a beautiful lagoon. Surrounded by giant cliff faces, it was so peaceful and the water was amazing, so we all jumped in for a swim.
After a bit of snorkelling by a rocky wall (which me and Rik epically failed at) our guides then took us to Maya Bay - the actual beach where 'The Beach' was filmed. But our boat didn't pull up on that beach, oh no - we had to go on a little adventure. Just like in the film, it is actually a national park and we had to pay a national park entry fee. Once that had been collected, we were led to a cave where once again, we tried our hand at a bit of rock climbing. It was like a passageway under a cliff, but still in the sea with some very tight squeezes! But it was all part of the fun, and as we ascended into the light again, we came to the steepest staircase known to man. Another 10 minute walk and there it was upon us: that exact, breathtaking view from the film....ruined by a few boats and 50+ tourists. But still, it really is the most amazing beach, it's no wonder the director chose this location. It almost makes it a fact that Maya Bay is the most beautiful beach in the whole of Thailand. We spent about an hour there, and was nowhere close to getting bored. I just couldn't stop taking photographs, I wanted to remember this view forever.
But the trip was not over yet. As the sun set on the horizon, we were whisked away to our very own private beach fro a bbq and a party. It would be hard to beat Maya Bay, but as the boat pulled in to our location I knew it wouldn't disappoint. A small beach lit by flames, that led into a beach cavern, where fires and a little mini bar were set up and the music was pumping. There were only around 30 of us on this beach, so more of a friendly, cosy mini-party which was a perfect way to end the day. We ate, drank and chatted to a few people. Then one of our guides brings out a gutiar, and asks if anyone wants to play...next thing we're all singing Oasis round the campfire. There's no word to describe this apart from surreal. Do you ever get that moment where you think "This isn't real, I'm in a movie right now." Well this was definitely one of them. Following our sing-song the Thais got up and showed off their fire twirling skills - which everyone does here by the way, I think Thais come out of the womb twirling a firestick and throwing it to the next newborn across the room. It is entertaining though! Then they led us into the sea to show us the glowing plankton, as it was pitch black by now. They were wicked! If you stayed still, theres nothing but black all around and in the sea, but if you move or splash in the water, lots of tiny light dots appear, just for a few seconds, then disappear again. Fascinating sight to end the day with.
To conclude our night, we headed back to the village for a few drinks. It was just the best day ever. But now tomorrow is our last day, and I really really DON'T want to leave!!!
Rik on his 2nd jump:
Travel Blog: Thailand
Viking Resort, Koh Phi Phi
It is hard to describe this amazing place, so I'll just put it simply:
Bamboo huts, in trees, with a beachview. Everything is made of wood, from the bed to the clothes hangers. We have a terrace/balcony with a huge hammock, and lots of cute hanging shell mobiles. It is the only room we've stayed in so far with a fridge, which is filled with drinks, and where breakfast is included every morning. There is one downfall - STILL not hot water - but I'm quite enjoying washing my hair in the sea now, especially as there's 2 private beaches to choose from. So we originally booked 3 nights as it's a bit pricey, but as soon as we were shown to our room I fell in love, so we went back down to recpetion to book another 3 nights. This takes us up to when we have to leave for Bangkok.
So that night, we went into the village for dinner and what did we come home to? A cockroach infestation. I freaked out, as we had run out of the killing spray from last time! Luckily reception had some brought up for us, which did the job (and now we're fully stocked up for emergencies!) It may sound silly that I wanted to stay here, in this all-natural resort, yet not want to share it with these creepy crawlies. Why didn't I expect this?! I don't know. I guess paradise comes at a cost, which I'm willing to pay. Anyway, we've not had much trouble since so fingers crossed they've learnt their lesson.
It is hard to describe this amazing place, so I'll just put it simply:
Bamboo huts, in trees, with a beachview. Everything is made of wood, from the bed to the clothes hangers. We have a terrace/balcony with a huge hammock, and lots of cute hanging shell mobiles. It is the only room we've stayed in so far with a fridge, which is filled with drinks, and where breakfast is included every morning. There is one downfall - STILL not hot water - but I'm quite enjoying washing my hair in the sea now, especially as there's 2 private beaches to choose from. So we originally booked 3 nights as it's a bit pricey, but as soon as we were shown to our room I fell in love, so we went back down to recpetion to book another 3 nights. This takes us up to when we have to leave for Bangkok.
So that night, we went into the village for dinner and what did we come home to? A cockroach infestation. I freaked out, as we had run out of the killing spray from last time! Luckily reception had some brought up for us, which did the job (and now we're fully stocked up for emergencies!) It may sound silly that I wanted to stay here, in this all-natural resort, yet not want to share it with these creepy crawlies. Why didn't I expect this?! I don't know. I guess paradise comes at a cost, which I'm willing to pay. Anyway, we've not had much trouble since so fingers crossed they've learnt their lesson.
Travel Blog: Thailand
12th November - Koh Phi Phi
We started our day by climbing to 'The Viewpoint' and I guaruntee those 10,0000000000+ steps are worth it! Right in the peak of the mountains, you get a perfectly clear view of the bays mentioned previously, with the turquoise sea lapping the beaches from both sides plus a backdrop of sky high jungly cliffs. Words don't really do it justice, and neither does a camera but it's better than nothing:
After the hike we rewarded ourselves with a relaxing day on a secluded beach cove. Nothing else to report as of yet except Rik is in heaven because there's a ridiculous amount of Italian food here. Oh and we had a slight cockraoch incident last night...luckily my hero advanced on the nearest shop to get some spray and kill the mofo. He also enjoys killing mosquitoes with his bare hands...I love him!
We started our day by climbing to 'The Viewpoint' and I guaruntee those 10,0000000000+ steps are worth it! Right in the peak of the mountains, you get a perfectly clear view of the bays mentioned previously, with the turquoise sea lapping the beaches from both sides plus a backdrop of sky high jungly cliffs. Words don't really do it justice, and neither does a camera but it's better than nothing:
After the hike we rewarded ourselves with a relaxing day on a secluded beach cove. Nothing else to report as of yet except Rik is in heaven because there's a ridiculous amount of Italian food here. Oh and we had a slight cockraoch incident last night...luckily my hero advanced on the nearest shop to get some spray and kill the mofo. He also enjoys killing mosquitoes with his bare hands...I love him!
Travel Blog: Thailand
11th November - Koh Phi Phi
Something strange is going on in Thailand. Remember when we were in Koh Tao, in their monsoon season, and it was scorching and didn't rain a drop? And in Koh Chang, at the start of their high seaosn, and it rained at least once a day? Well, we arrive into Koh Phi Phi - bearing in mind it is their high season, hottest part of the year as of 1st November - and it is cloudy. Not only is it dull and cloudy, but as we are exploring, about 40 minutes away from the village and our hotel, it starts to pour down. When I say pour down, I mean tropical rainstorm/monsoon heavier than I've ever known, lasting at least an hour. We had to literally wade through the streets, knee deep, to get back to our hotel and that is honestly no exaggeration. So, not the greatest start to Phi Phi, especailly when one has spent a mere 15 hours getting here. And that journey was eventful...
On such long journeys it is common to travel through the night, which is good because you aren't wasting any days travelling. So from Koh Tao we got on a nightboat back to the mainland, lasting 8 hours. We walked onto this boat and I could not believe my eyes. There was one deck, inside, covered wall to wall with tiny attempts at mattresses. our tickets had numbers, and sure enough there were numbers around the room matching each 'mattress.' But these numbers were so unbelieveably squished together, that if you were slightly taller or fatter than the average person you'd have no chance. And there were no seats or chairs on the boat, your given mattress was the only thing to sit or lie on, and there was no room to stand up should you wish to. So, taking it all in, we took up our cosy bedside position, awkwardly making friends with our neighbours. There was no shop, no proper toilet ( a squat toilet - a hole in the ground - is considered sufficient in Asia) and the heat was unbearable. When the boat set off, all the lights went out and the whole boat went pitch black. I looked at us all, squished together lay down like sardines on a fish market and I could only compare it to one thing: a slave ship. While we may not have been handcuffed, we didn't have a choice to move anyway and it was honestly like a scene from 'Amistad.'
Saying this, after I spent the first 2 hours looking out of the window at the amazing display of stars, I slept through the rest of the journey, so it couldn't have been too bad. Then, when we docked at 5am, someone fell into the water whilst getting off the boat!! I guess he was still half asleep....it's not funny really, there's no health and safety round here. Following this, we had our usual long distance shannanigans where different jeeps and trucks pick us up and drop us at random travel agencies for hours, then drop us at the coach station, then drop us at the pier for our last leg of the journey to Phi Phi.
Phi Phi is said to be the most beautiful of them all, and even through the cloud she delivered. With crystal clear waters and countless white beaches and coves we spotted on the way in, I couldn't wait to get exploring. Then, to my amazement, I discovered this island had no roads, or vehicles. A taxi here refers to a large cart on 2 wheels to carry your luggage to your hotel! It's incredible. However, the no road description paints an entirely wrong view of this island - the main village is the biggest and busiest I've seen out of all the islands we've visited, and making your way through the hustle and bustle is hard. There are many shops, markets, restaurants, hotels and bars - countless bars, that get very lively at night! So it really does make you wonder how, with no roads, this thriving civilisation exists. How did they transport all the concrete and machinery to build all these buildings?? Most locals have bicycles, and the police have scooters, but that's it. You see staff from the bars and restaurants hauling around their stock with their carts I mentioned earlier every day, and it's really endearing.
Phi Phi was hit by 2004's tsunami, but there is no sign of it today. We are staying quite high up on a hill, and the hotel next door has an evacuation sign. If there's a warning of another tsunami, people would flock there to safety. Which is quite reassuring at the moment, until tomorrow when we're moving beachside! The main village is built on a very narrow strip of land,with sea on both sides so it is evident how the whole island would have been devastated by it. [This makes me feel guilty for moaning about getting caught in the monsoon earlier. I wasn't lying, the paths transformed into rivers but it must have been nothing compared to the tsunami floods]. A few restaurants have photographs inside of the rebuild, and there are a few books about it in the bookstores, so it has made me want to research it more. I found an interesting fact when I hit my first source, Wikipedia. (Obviously!) On Phucket, the neighbouring island to Phi Phi, two separate British tourists noticed the warning signs of a tsunami. One was a teacher, and the other a 10 year old girl who had been studying tsunamis in geography. Apparently the water receeded far more than usual, and bubbles could also be seen. The Brits were on separate parts of the island, and both managed to get their beaches evacuated to safety before the tsunami hit. This made me feel really warm inside.
OK so now it's time to plug Rik's travel blog, here it is:
http://confessionsofatravellingtoole.blogspot.com/
You may think, if you're reading mine, why should you read my travel partners, as it will be exactly the same. I can't tell you how wrong you are my friend! Me and Rik see the world in VERY different ways, and therefore find different things of higher importance to mention in our blogs. Plus it is a lot funnier than mine, so have a read :)
Something strange is going on in Thailand. Remember when we were in Koh Tao, in their monsoon season, and it was scorching and didn't rain a drop? And in Koh Chang, at the start of their high seaosn, and it rained at least once a day? Well, we arrive into Koh Phi Phi - bearing in mind it is their high season, hottest part of the year as of 1st November - and it is cloudy. Not only is it dull and cloudy, but as we are exploring, about 40 minutes away from the village and our hotel, it starts to pour down. When I say pour down, I mean tropical rainstorm/monsoon heavier than I've ever known, lasting at least an hour. We had to literally wade through the streets, knee deep, to get back to our hotel and that is honestly no exaggeration. So, not the greatest start to Phi Phi, especailly when one has spent a mere 15 hours getting here. And that journey was eventful...
On such long journeys it is common to travel through the night, which is good because you aren't wasting any days travelling. So from Koh Tao we got on a nightboat back to the mainland, lasting 8 hours. We walked onto this boat and I could not believe my eyes. There was one deck, inside, covered wall to wall with tiny attempts at mattresses. our tickets had numbers, and sure enough there were numbers around the room matching each 'mattress.' But these numbers were so unbelieveably squished together, that if you were slightly taller or fatter than the average person you'd have no chance. And there were no seats or chairs on the boat, your given mattress was the only thing to sit or lie on, and there was no room to stand up should you wish to. So, taking it all in, we took up our cosy bedside position, awkwardly making friends with our neighbours. There was no shop, no proper toilet ( a squat toilet - a hole in the ground - is considered sufficient in Asia) and the heat was unbearable. When the boat set off, all the lights went out and the whole boat went pitch black. I looked at us all, squished together lay down like sardines on a fish market and I could only compare it to one thing: a slave ship. While we may not have been handcuffed, we didn't have a choice to move anyway and it was honestly like a scene from 'Amistad.'
Saying this, after I spent the first 2 hours looking out of the window at the amazing display of stars, I slept through the rest of the journey, so it couldn't have been too bad. Then, when we docked at 5am, someone fell into the water whilst getting off the boat!! I guess he was still half asleep....it's not funny really, there's no health and safety round here. Following this, we had our usual long distance shannanigans where different jeeps and trucks pick us up and drop us at random travel agencies for hours, then drop us at the coach station, then drop us at the pier for our last leg of the journey to Phi Phi.
Phi Phi is said to be the most beautiful of them all, and even through the cloud she delivered. With crystal clear waters and countless white beaches and coves we spotted on the way in, I couldn't wait to get exploring. Then, to my amazement, I discovered this island had no roads, or vehicles. A taxi here refers to a large cart on 2 wheels to carry your luggage to your hotel! It's incredible. However, the no road description paints an entirely wrong view of this island - the main village is the biggest and busiest I've seen out of all the islands we've visited, and making your way through the hustle and bustle is hard. There are many shops, markets, restaurants, hotels and bars - countless bars, that get very lively at night! So it really does make you wonder how, with no roads, this thriving civilisation exists. How did they transport all the concrete and machinery to build all these buildings?? Most locals have bicycles, and the police have scooters, but that's it. You see staff from the bars and restaurants hauling around their stock with their carts I mentioned earlier every day, and it's really endearing.
Phi Phi was hit by 2004's tsunami, but there is no sign of it today. We are staying quite high up on a hill, and the hotel next door has an evacuation sign. If there's a warning of another tsunami, people would flock there to safety. Which is quite reassuring at the moment, until tomorrow when we're moving beachside! The main village is built on a very narrow strip of land,with sea on both sides so it is evident how the whole island would have been devastated by it. [This makes me feel guilty for moaning about getting caught in the monsoon earlier. I wasn't lying, the paths transformed into rivers but it must have been nothing compared to the tsunami floods]. A few restaurants have photographs inside of the rebuild, and there are a few books about it in the bookstores, so it has made me want to research it more. I found an interesting fact when I hit my first source, Wikipedia. (Obviously!) On Phucket, the neighbouring island to Phi Phi, two separate British tourists noticed the warning signs of a tsunami. One was a teacher, and the other a 10 year old girl who had been studying tsunamis in geography. Apparently the water receeded far more than usual, and bubbles could also be seen. The Brits were on separate parts of the island, and both managed to get their beaches evacuated to safety before the tsunami hit. This made me feel really warm inside.
OK so now it's time to plug Rik's travel blog, here it is:
http://confessionsofatravellingtoole.blogspot.com/
You may think, if you're reading mine, why should you read my travel partners, as it will be exactly the same. I can't tell you how wrong you are my friend! Me and Rik see the world in VERY different ways, and therefore find different things of higher importance to mention in our blogs. Plus it is a lot funnier than mine, so have a read :)
Travel Blog: Thailand
9th November - Koh Tao
I just got back from a morning yoga class in a beautiful studio which is part of a beach resort. Amazing to say the least! I was so excited to learn they had classes on the island, and it did not disappoint, such an uplifting way to start the day - 2 hours of yoga practice. And the teacher incorporated our picturesque surroundings into the class by saying things like, "Be aware of all the water surrounding us on this tiny island." And it's strange, thinking about blatant simple facts such as that. I bet not one of us in that class, since arriving here, had thought "Hey, I'm on a small Thai island surrounded by water on all sides. How does my mind and body feel about that?"
(The answer of course, unless you have a fear of the sea, is great).
I've started to look at yoga in a new light. I mean, I've gone to classes on and off for about 5 years, but only for the physical benefits; as a dancer it increases flexibility and strength, and helps you focus before a technique class or performance. It harmonises mind and body, no doubt about that. But I've always dismissed the spiritual and meditational side of yoga, which I know plays a large part in the practice. Well I've recently had a change of heart. Maybe it'e because I'm reading Liz Gilbert's 'Eat Pray Love?' [I know I know, total cliche travelling read...I just had to! I'm also starting to write in the same sarcastic autobiographical tone....maybe I should stop!?]
Anyway, from what I can tell from the various classes I've attended with teachers from all over the world, there are a few important themes. Positivity and thankfulness are up there - half a yoga class is usually dedicated to saying thank you to the sun for the light and warmth it gives us day by day. And we certainly do take things like that for granted these days. I think we all need to be more thankful, even for the simplest of things we have been given in this life. So this, mixed with elements such as peace and compassion - how can I ignore these statements in yoga? I believe in all these things separately, so why not as a physical practice? All I know is I want to take up a lot more yoga classes in Australia. So that is how I spent my morning, sweating my back out in yoga...how did I spend my afternoon?....
Washing my hair in the sea. Why the sea, I hear you ask! Because the shower in our room only has an arctic blast button, that's why. No hot water at all. Which is nice and refreshing, in this heat and humidity, for about 3-5 minutes. But washing my hair takes at least 10! And the sea was so much warmer than our shower, so I just took my shampoo and conditioner down to the beach and got at one with nature! I was slightly angry at first that our shower wasn't hot. I don't expect an electric shower if we're staying in a beach bungalow or a mega cheap hostel, but we're in a large, well equipped resort. But Koh Tao is in a massive water shortage crisis right now, so they may have turned off the hot water to stop people spending a long time in the shower. Well, probably just the cheapest rooms we're in! For example,it is now supposed to be monsoon season here, but we've seen then hottest and driest weather since arriving in Thailand. Not one spec of rain. We're also being bitten to death, I think the island needs some rain to kill off some mozzies! Up until now, Rik was taking enough bites for the both of us, so we came to the conclusion that I just wasn't tasty enough. But now, I've just found 5 massive bites, right on my bum cheek. Nice. [Note to self - no more skirts.]
We're in for another horrific night journey tomorrow, to Koh Phi Phi. This island is said to be the most stunning, and well worth the travelling. I really hope so! So that's it for Koh Tao...one last thing. At night the stars here are our of this world, I wish I could take a photograph of them. I have never ever seen so many.
I just got back from a morning yoga class in a beautiful studio which is part of a beach resort. Amazing to say the least! I was so excited to learn they had classes on the island, and it did not disappoint, such an uplifting way to start the day - 2 hours of yoga practice. And the teacher incorporated our picturesque surroundings into the class by saying things like, "Be aware of all the water surrounding us on this tiny island." And it's strange, thinking about blatant simple facts such as that. I bet not one of us in that class, since arriving here, had thought "Hey, I'm on a small Thai island surrounded by water on all sides. How does my mind and body feel about that?"
(The answer of course, unless you have a fear of the sea, is great).
I've started to look at yoga in a new light. I mean, I've gone to classes on and off for about 5 years, but only for the physical benefits; as a dancer it increases flexibility and strength, and helps you focus before a technique class or performance. It harmonises mind and body, no doubt about that. But I've always dismissed the spiritual and meditational side of yoga, which I know plays a large part in the practice. Well I've recently had a change of heart. Maybe it'e because I'm reading Liz Gilbert's 'Eat Pray Love?' [I know I know, total cliche travelling read...I just had to! I'm also starting to write in the same sarcastic autobiographical tone....maybe I should stop!?]
Anyway, from what I can tell from the various classes I've attended with teachers from all over the world, there are a few important themes. Positivity and thankfulness are up there - half a yoga class is usually dedicated to saying thank you to the sun for the light and warmth it gives us day by day. And we certainly do take things like that for granted these days. I think we all need to be more thankful, even for the simplest of things we have been given in this life. So this, mixed with elements such as peace and compassion - how can I ignore these statements in yoga? I believe in all these things separately, so why not as a physical practice? All I know is I want to take up a lot more yoga classes in Australia. So that is how I spent my morning, sweating my back out in yoga...how did I spend my afternoon?....
Washing my hair in the sea. Why the sea, I hear you ask! Because the shower in our room only has an arctic blast button, that's why. No hot water at all. Which is nice and refreshing, in this heat and humidity, for about 3-5 minutes. But washing my hair takes at least 10! And the sea was so much warmer than our shower, so I just took my shampoo and conditioner down to the beach and got at one with nature! I was slightly angry at first that our shower wasn't hot. I don't expect an electric shower if we're staying in a beach bungalow or a mega cheap hostel, but we're in a large, well equipped resort. But Koh Tao is in a massive water shortage crisis right now, so they may have turned off the hot water to stop people spending a long time in the shower. Well, probably just the cheapest rooms we're in! For example,it is now supposed to be monsoon season here, but we've seen then hottest and driest weather since arriving in Thailand. Not one spec of rain. We're also being bitten to death, I think the island needs some rain to kill off some mozzies! Up until now, Rik was taking enough bites for the both of us, so we came to the conclusion that I just wasn't tasty enough. But now, I've just found 5 massive bites, right on my bum cheek. Nice. [Note to self - no more skirts.]
We're in for another horrific night journey tomorrow, to Koh Phi Phi. This island is said to be the most stunning, and well worth the travelling. I really hope so! So that's it for Koh Tao...one last thing. At night the stars here are our of this world, I wish I could take a photograph of them. I have never ever seen so many.
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Travel Blog: Thailand
8th November - Sairee Beach, Koh Tao
So we had to leave Bangkok before nightfall when the insects come out....so that little bushtucker trial will have to wait till next week before we catch out flight!
But now here we are in Koh Tao, one of the best spots to scuba dive in the whole world. Nearly all the hotels are diving resorts, so we decided to stay in one because they had cheap rooms - no air con, no hot water...I'll come back to that! - and they had not 1, but 2 pools! Which we thought was a great bonus, except every day they are both full with beginners' scuba classes, so we've only had chance for a quick dip. If we were staying longer, me and Rik have both said we'd love to do a course, but hopefully in Australia we can do one on the Great Barrier Reef ( no doubt it will be a lot more expensive there though). The ocean is so crystal clear here however, that there is no need to go underwater, snorkelling or diving, as you can see right through the water to the seabed. It's a nice beach, but with a narrow sandy strip and it's very built up all the way along - bar after restaurant after bar. Doesn't beat Koh Chang I'm afraid![But as time passed I decided it was a 'grower']. It has that similar lazy atmosphere, where the seats are just cushions on a beachside wooden platform. It's apparently the low season here, but it is still busier than the previous island we visited and I'm enjoying the more 'resort' feel here.
So we had to leave Bangkok before nightfall when the insects come out....so that little bushtucker trial will have to wait till next week before we catch out flight!
But now here we are in Koh Tao, one of the best spots to scuba dive in the whole world. Nearly all the hotels are diving resorts, so we decided to stay in one because they had cheap rooms - no air con, no hot water...I'll come back to that! - and they had not 1, but 2 pools! Which we thought was a great bonus, except every day they are both full with beginners' scuba classes, so we've only had chance for a quick dip. If we were staying longer, me and Rik have both said we'd love to do a course, but hopefully in Australia we can do one on the Great Barrier Reef ( no doubt it will be a lot more expensive there though). The ocean is so crystal clear here however, that there is no need to go underwater, snorkelling or diving, as you can see right through the water to the seabed. It's a nice beach, but with a narrow sandy strip and it's very built up all the way along - bar after restaurant after bar. Doesn't beat Koh Chang I'm afraid![But as time passed I decided it was a 'grower']. It has that similar lazy atmosphere, where the seats are just cushions on a beachside wooden platform. It's apparently the low season here, but it is still busier than the previous island we visited and I'm enjoying the more 'resort' feel here.
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